Plywood



y 5, 1942- I T. w. DIKE ETAL 2,232,177

PLYWOOD Original Filed Aug. 11, 1936 Mrm nzerz/enlng 477/2010" 1 6e ielwlose Layer.

Wmer @lblare jc yer- 7M1, .d/zzsrx/a m lozuzzr C'e Mszjqyzr v lmru/ai Patented May 5, 1942 PLYWOOD Theodore W. Dike and Harry Galber, Seattle, Wash., assignors to I. F. Laucks, Inc., Seattle, Wash., a corporation of Washington Original application August 11, 1936, Serial No. 95,460. Divided and this application October 27, 1939, Serial No. 301,670

9 Claims.

This invention relates to new laminated, glued products. The present application is a division of our prior application Serial No. 95,460, filed August 11, 1936, now Patent 2,178,566, granted November 7, 1939. This application is directed to the plywood product as an article of manufacture and to methods of manufacture which are divisible from the subject matter of the parent application. The product of the present invention has a plurality of novel structural characteristics which distinguish it from the plywood products made in accordance with the teachings of the prior art.

In the customary gluing of layers of porous or cellulosic materials by means of alkaline proteinous glues or adhesives, the technique has involved the application of the adhesive in a fluid state, its condition being such as to be easily applied and spread onto surfaces to be glued, this objective having been believed to require a marked degree of fluidity. This necessarily entails the use of a very considerable amount of water, and the water being insuch high proportion and the glue thereby being in a fluid state, the water is introduced into the porous layers which are being glued, to an extent very materially raising their water-content; and in the further procedure, the assembled panels being stacked and placed for a number of hours in cold-pressure clamps for setting, the surplus of water must necessarily disseminate through the structure. The amount of water thus left is quite considerable, much above that which is desirable, unless corrected by an expensive additional operation of re-drying in a drier apparatus. Concomitant with the introduction of such large amounts of water with the adhesive in the case of cellulosic layers which are naturally highly absorbent, is the associate difliculty arising from expansion of the cellulose by the contacting glue water before the bond is formed, and its eventual contraction after the bond has been formed, this occurring of course more or less irregularly, and on final exposure to the air there is a marked tendency for development l of surface hair checks or even cranks, which with many materials are rather serious. Furthermore, since the aqueous adhesive is of necessarily quite high alkaline content, the alkali,

being carried widely and owing to local variaand in the case of checks or cracks there is usually considerable disfigurement from the stain in such areas. Also, where a recess in a core layer, for instance, may have been filled with the alkaline adhesive during spreading, the migration of the alkali as carried by the waterdissemination occasion disfiguring stains on the outside surface opposite such points.

In an effort to get away from the difficulties occasioned by introduction of the large amounts of water concurrent with the aqueous alkaline adhesive, proposals have been made to apply the adhesive, instead of in thin spreadable form, by rolling out very stiff plastic doughs with sheeting rollers or by applying undispersed pulverulent forms of adhesive. These, however, are not operable with many forms of cellulose materials which it is desired to laminate or are limited to certain adhesives or lack adequate features of control or economy. The sheeting process of spreading, for instance, is inoperable, except with glues of such heavy consistency that they cannot be spread at all with grooved roller spreaders, because the great pressure concentrated on the ridges between the grooves dents deeply into wood plies and breaks them up. With smooth sheeting rollers this trouble can be avoided, but it is impossible to produce an even uniform controllable spread at a low rate. Also, the glue is so dense and non-fluid that even with the thinning and penetration-promoting influence of the heat of a hot press available, adequate penetration and bonding is only obtainable if the panels are pressed immediately after spreading. Thus neither the uniformity nor the quantity of spread are under control and there is no tolerance of assembly time. These difiiculties have prevented practical success with this method.

Likewise, the method of spreading the adheslve in undispersed pulverulent form presents the serious problem of requiring very costly spreading equipment to obtain uniformity and quantitative control of spread, as well as serious difiiculty in obtaining adequate dispersion in stu and proper penetration, so that this method also has not been found capable of general commercial application. Referring also to the aforementioned cold pressing process, there is a particular desideratum in being able to avoid all of the time-consuming and generally objectionable characteristics of such cold process gluing. In accordance with the present invention, it now becomes possible to effect a gluing operation with application of an alkaline aqueous adhesive in easily spreadable form, with exceptional control of uniformity even for thin spreads, without carrying undesirable excess water into the structure glued with attendant alkaline stains, and at the same time with particularly advantageous and rapid through-put, with resultant product containing a particularly low amount of moisture and having many improved physical characteristics, as pointed out below. Furthermore, delicate cellulose materials, including thin fancy veneers, etc., are thus capable of operation, without danger of damaging and occasioning excessive losses in rejections, etc.

For convenience, and to avoid needless explanation of a very complex art, the following description is mainly confined to the particular glues and methods used in the manufacture of Douglas fir plywood and to the physical characteristics of the resulting products, this being an important field for application of the inventions herein set forth, but we do not wish this to be construed in a limiting sense as the principles are of much broader usefulness and may be applied in other fields by those skilled in the adhesive art.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be applied.

A numerical indication of glue consistency is commonly obtained with the MacMichael viscosimeter which expresses on an arbitrary scale the twisting force exerted on a standard wire suspending a standard plunger definitely immersed .in a known diameter cup of glue rotated at fixed speed while the upper end of the wire is held stationary. In the following description and claims, the viscosity measurement numbers are obtained using a one centimeter brass plunger, immersed three centimeters in a six centimeter diameter cup rotated at twenty R. P. M. As no single wire is capable of measuring a wide range, wires of different gauge such as No. 26, No. 22, and No, 18 are used, but their readings are convertible to a hypothetical equivalency with a light wire such as No. 26, by multiplying the readings by a difference factor, for instance, multiplying the No. 18 readings by 37 or the No. 22 readings by 6.5 converts them to a fairly comparable hypothetical'extension of the No. 26 scale. This basis for measurement and comparison of viscosity is adopted herein.

Typical of the fluid proteinous glues used here tofore in the cold process are the soya bean flour glues which are standard in the manufacture of fir plywood. These glues have a No. 26 wire viscosity usually about 40 with a range between 25 and 150. In contrast to these quite fluid glues,

the semi-fluid glues of the present invention are too thick to be measured with the No. 26 wire as they would break it. They have to be measured with the heavy No. l8 gauge wire and give readings usually about 25 with an approximate range between 10 and 90. At and above a No. 18

wire reading of about 180 a plastic state is 'a sheet so that such material might be applicable Range No. 26 wire readings, or hypothetical equivalent at room temperature Fluid glues 25-150 Semi-fluid glues 370-3330 Sheeting process glues 6600-upper limit unknown As heat reduces the viscosity of glues very materially, semi-fluid glues which are above the practical upper limit at room temperature may be made temporarily spreadable by heating.

It thus becomes apparent that the semi-fluid glues of the present invention form an intermediate band ofcinsistency, separated by a very wide gap from the material suggested for the sheeting process. It has in fact been found that it is only within this band that the full benefits of the semi-fluid glues are obtained. This is because the present process depends on accurate controlled spreading of the glue by grooved rollers in the form of narrow ridges of only semi-fluid glue, these ridges being alternated by narrow areas freed from excess glue beyond the minimum amount which merely wets their surfaces, by the contacting pressure of the corresponding ridges of the spreader rollers. With ordinary viscosity glues similarly spread, the fluid glue immediately flows back and partly or wholly refllls these valleys and it is also easily disturbed and smeared by the contacts of assembly handling, while with our semi-fluid glues not only do these valleys remain empty so that a distinct printed pattern is obtained, but the semi-fluid glue is too stiff to be readily smeared in handling. Thus, if, as in the case of ordinary fluid glues, the fluidity exceeds a certain limit, the pattern is not fully obtained or retained, while if it is too little, as 'in the case of the sheeting process proposal, the pressure required to produce a pattern far exceeds the strength of the wood and it is consequently injured or destroyed. Considerable differences in spreadability, however, arise from other causes than mere viscosity or frictional resistance to flow, so that while this principal holds true, the upper and lower limits of spreadability are modified somewhat by the composition of each individual glue. However, in all cases a distinct and considerable gap remains between the fluid and semi-fluid glues, and a distinct and wide gap between the latter and the glues suitable for the sheeting process. The differences are in the presence or absence of definite behavior functions and not mere differences of degree, and it is only within this distinct band of consistency that true pattern spreading makes possible the important advantages obtainable by the present process.

For instance, if the spreading character of a series of soya bean glues is compared, and the series starts with ordinary fluid glues of about 3.7 to 1 water to glue ratio and extends into the territory of the pattern spreadable semi-fluid glues, the spread character will change quite suddenly at some point between about 3.0 and 2.8 ratio from the smeary distorted semi-pattem of the fluid glues to the definite distinct undistorted print pattern of the semi-fluid glues. This change occurs when the ridges of glue cease to flow out into the substantially empty valleys. No doubt obscure relations of such factors as internal friction, surface tension and specific adhesion to the contacting surfaces cause the relatively sudden change which would be only gradual if dependent on some single factor like difference in degree of viscosity.

Such concentrated semi-fluid glues cannot be controllably spread by rollers having smooth surfaces, but can be spread by grooved roll surfaces if strongly pressed so the ridges contact the surfaces being spread. The present usage therefore includes application of the glue by what may be designated as pattern-spreading surfaces or pattern-rolls. In this, the glue applicator is in the form of rollers operated under sufficient pressure so as to contact the wood plies or other surfaces to be glued, and having a reticulated contour or series of small recesses or grooves which may extend in the direction of surface-travel, for instance, grooves on the order of e fand in close parallel relation, which may be crossed at intervals of for example to 1%," by transverse grooves, such roll surface being able to carry the adhesive and print it on the cellulosic surface in a corresponding pattern. With this, it will be noticed also that by reason of the alternate grooves and raised portions of the roll-contour, the adhesive pattern printed upon the surface to be glued, consists of a corresponding series of raised adhesive areas or glue ridges with spaces between; and with suitable proportion of the adhesive areas and spaces there is deposited upon the cellulosic surface a controlled amount of the adhesive in such areas that the subsequent pressure applied to the assembled lued structure will force the adhesive from the deposit-lines into the intervening spaces uniformly, the positive movement here involved thus thereby provided in secondary action with proper spacing a thin continuous or approximately continuous film of the adhesive in distribution between the adherent surfaces. Under certain circumstances, such as in gluing paper, the spacing between the ridges may be increased so as to exceed the area over which the ridges of glue may be pressed out, which is economical and adequate where weak materials such as paper are to be laminated or a weak bond is sufficient as in making thin plywood for box shocks. Fluid glues heretofore customary, are usually applied by quite similar grooved applicator rolls, but due to the fluidity they initially smear over the cellulosic surface in an approximately complete coat which merely varies here and there in thickness, instead of a distinct definite pattern-spread or print with alternate surfaces free from excess glue. Due to the fluidity the glue is thus not definitely restricted in locations and is readily also smeared and displaced by the contacts which take place during the assembly of the component plies.

As indicated, the amount of water in the present adhesive is particularly low, for example less than 3.0 parts and usually less than 2.75 parts to 1 part of dry base adhesive. Hereinafter the term glue base will be used to denote the dry adhesive base content exclusive of reagents. Desirably the proteinous base contains at least 50% of oilseed-residue flour, as soya bean flour, peanut flour, and the like, all of which contain a substantial proportion of material partially or completely undispersible in the concentration of alkali used insuch glues. Straight seed flour may be used, or by inclusion of a portion of other protein, modified properties may be had, such animal proteins as blood-albumin, casein, animal glue, extracted vegetable proteins, etc., being applicable. With the limits of water content as indicated, the precise amount in any instance will vary somewhat with the particular adhesive composition, blood-albumin, casein, animal glue and extracted proteins, for instance, all having specifically different water-requirements, as well understood by those skilled in the .art. Thus, with a straight soya bean or like oilseedresidue flour, the water content may be 2.00-3.00 parts to 1 of the oilseed flour, depending upon the consistency desired and the natural waterrequirement of the individual glue base used. Depending somewhat upon the particular surface to be glued, whether of hard wood, soft wood, more absorbent cellulose in the form of paper board, paper, or less absorbent non-cellulosic porous material such as asbestos paper, etc., the water content may appropriately be varied, being more particularly restricted for high absorbent artificial cellulose sheet materials such as paper.

With the low water content semi-fluid adhesive, we also include the feature of a very low spreading rate. Customarily in the manufacture of plywood heretofore, for three-ply product, the spreading rate has been in excess of 25 pounds of dry glue base or 90-150 pounds of the liquid glue. Herewith, however, a spreading rate of 7 to 24 pounds of dry glue base per 1,000 square feet of three-ply product becomes feasible or 30-90 pounds of the wet. For thinner and weaker cellulosic surfaces, as very thin plywood, paper, etc., correspondingly less is feasible, as, for instance, 2-12 pounds of the dry glue base depending upon the texture and character of the surface.

While, as subsequently described, in most cases the present invention comprising the feature of semi-fluid glues pattern-spread at a low rate, contemplates the employment of a hot press method to form the final bond, under certain conditions the bond may be formed in the cold press as, for example, in the case of certain paper products, by either cold or heated rollers. ,In such cases, the great uniformity of spread obtained by the use of these semi-fluid glues and the ability provided to pattern spread them uniformly at even very low rates secure low glue costs. Furthermore, the heavy character of the glue and the small amount of water present facilitate rapid formation of the bond. In such instances, particularly with porous absorbent paper, the bond is formed rapidly by the thickening of the glue by the sudden driving out of the water into the porous surfaces upon the application of pressure so that heat is not needed to speed up the process.

Passing the layers to be glued through the adhesive-applying spreader rolls, and applying the adhesive, as indicated, the layers are then brought together in assembly, and proceed to the press. In this, an exceptionally high pressure is feasible and desirably applied. By reason of the fact that so small an amount of damaging water has been introduced into the cellulose by the adhesive, the assembled structure is able to withstand pressure of an order not otherwise nor heretofore permissible. The short time under pressure and low heat are features which also cooperate to this end. Thus, whereas in the manufacture of Douglas fir plywood, customarily a pressure of about 140 pounds is not to be'exceeded, in the present procedure 200-225 pounds per square inch is desirable. Under these controlled conditions the structure is not densified to its detriment, and a strong bond is quickly attained, the increased pressure contributing to a more effective gluing with a small amount of lue.

With the pressure, heat is applied, this being on an order sufficient to provide a quick heating of the adhesive without detrimental generation of destructive internal vapor pressure. Plate temperatures of .212-230 F. are applicable, for instance, with fir panels. Actual peak temperatures at the glue line thus from about 170 F. to a maximum of a little above 212 F. result, and are suitable with general materials, and the heat is thus applied without substantial generation of vapor pressure, and the time under pressure may be relatively short, since the application of heat and pressure can be terminated before the glue line is completely dried out, and preferably as soon as a strong enough initial bond is formed to prevent separation of the plies on removal from the press. It is obvious, of course, that on removing the panels from the press, the heat stored in the wood continues to dehydrate and,

strengthen the glue bond during the very considerable time that must elapse before the wood cools down to room temperature. Since it is usually convenient to store the panels in stacks, considerable heat remains present for as much as twelve hours. The time under pressure, correspondinglyfor thick flr wallboard can thus be less than 2 minutes and up to about 3 minutes, depending upon the particular glue composition, and exigencies of desirable procedure.

It is'of particular note that the assembly time or interval between spreading and pressing, in the present process, while immediate pressing is not a rigid requirement as in the sheeting process, can be very short, and if desired can be substantially that involved in moving the assembly to the press, and being for example on the order of 30 seconds conveniently; but, on the other hand, the tolerance permissible may be more extended up to five or ten minutes or even longer. The ability to press the panels as fast as they are glued and assembled is a feature of great value in large scale repetition manufacture as it facilitates continuous pressing by suitable apparatus capable of providing pressing facilities ready to receive and press the panels as fast as they are assembled, for instance, on a short conveyor which delivers them to the continuous press. As the assembly time thus becomes uniform from panel to panel great advantages in uniformity of product are obtained together with the labor saving of continuous automatic pressing.

The glue bond, as seen, forms quickly, and the entire procedure from the beginning of application of the glue to the removal from the press need not require over 4 minutes in the case of wallboard, and correspondingly less for thinner cellulosic structures. With three-ply wood, in general, the pressing time may be less than 1 minute for each of assembly thickness where employing oilseed residue glues, the rate following closly the heat transfer rate through wood. Where adhesive blendsare used including par-. ticularly easily heat coagulable proteins such as blood albumin, the pressing time may be much less. Withal, the ultimate bond provides strength equal to the best obtained with about double the dry glue base spread of the same glue base in the old practice heretofore, and it is particularly characterized by uniformity over the entire glued surface in contrast to the prior unevenness.

As an example illustrative of operation for fir wallboard, pounds of fine ground soya bean flour are dry mixed with 4 pounds of fine ground soda ash and 1 pound of pine oil. parts of weight of this dry powder'are mixed with 200 parts of'water, and 10 parts of hydrated lime separately mixed with 50 parts of water are added, followed by 4 parts of caustic soda separately dissolved in 10 parts of water, followed by 30 parts of N brand sodium silicate, and finally a mixture of 1.8 parts carbon bisulphide and 1.2 parts of carbon tetrachloride, the viscosity one-half hour after making up being 30 Mac- Michael with No. 18 wire and the ratio of water to glue base being 2.6/1. This is a heavy bodied semi-fluid glue of very good spreading properties. Dry 1/10" cores (moisture content about 3 per cent) are spread at the rate of 50 pounds of this wet glue per 1,000 square feet of threeply panels, employing the reticulated or patternspreading rolls as above indicated, with sufficient pressureon the rolls to cause the core pieces to positively move forward and the semi-fluid glue to be spread at the same speed, and the pattern of adhesive is printed on the wood surface. The spread cores are laid on backs which have been placed if desired on a convenient conveyor, and a face ply is laid on the cores, forming the complete assembly, which is carried into a hot press. The press is immediately closed and about 200 pounds pressure per square inch of panel surface applied, the assembly time or elapsed time between the spreading of the cores and the application of pressure having been about 30 seconds. The press plates are heated to a uniform temperature of 225 F. After 140 seconds the press is opened and the panel removed.

In contrast, in the customary procedure using the prior cold process there would have been a 3.7 to 1 water to glue-base ratio and a minimum of about pounds of liquid glue spread, since any attempt at reduction below such rate would seriously weaken the bottom panels in the cold process package. The percentage of dry glue base saved thereover by the present process is 50 per cent or more; and notably there is a reduction of at least 64 per cent in the amount of water injected into the structure, and whereas in the prior process the moisture content of the finished panels has run around 14-15 per cent, the moisture content of the present panels is but slightly over 7 per cent, and they are thus ready for shipping without a re-drying operation. It has been found also that this same glue may be spread on fir wallboard at the very low rate of 37 lbs. instead of 50 lbs. and strongly glued fully commercial panels produced. Excellent results may also be obtained by omitting the caustic soda altogether in this formula and increasing the soda ash and lime proportionately. Many other formulae may also be used and the absent? process is not limited to any specific glue formulas for alkaline proteinous glues, except that the viscosity should be within certain limits and the water kept correspondingly low. The advantages of this process are thus seen to be revolutionary from the standpoint of reduction in both glue consumed and glue water injected into the panels.

Concomitant with the avoidance of the large amounts of water, even thin plies do not have alkaline glue stains on any other surfaces than those actually contacted by the adhesive. For this reason also, it is seen why even such surfaces as paper board and paper may be glued with these glues without becoming surface stained thereby. Also, it is seen that the glue although containing water is much less saturated, and is consequently in such general equilibrium that the cellulose absorbs water from the glue by contact at a much slower rate than with the usual watery glues. Again, the glue is printed uniformly on sharply defined spaced areas, and not irregularly distributed in an indefinite pattern which is distorted by flow due to the high fluidity and is also readily smeared and displaced during assembly and before pressing. In contrast to this, the present high viscosity, pattern spread, semi-fluid glue remains in the areas of deposit and is only squeezed over into the intervening spaces when the press is closed, thereby forming an approximately complete very thin film between the surfaces opposed and then the adhesive is at once set by the heat. In this high pressure confined lateral filming of the adhesive from the imprinted areas to the neighboring spaces a particularly close union of adhesive to the cellulose is effected. The uniformity of disposition due to the accurate pattern spreading and the resistance to displace ment due to the high viscosity cooperate to secure uniform adhesion.

As indicated, the characteristics of very low spread of semi-fluid concentrated glue, with hot pressing for very short time, using moderate heat, and relatively high pressure, are applicable with the protein base aqueous alkaline glues in semifluid state, whether of wholly oilseed composition or mixed composition. In general, oilseed glues, by which is meant glues containing preferably at least 50 per cent of oilseed flour, are particularly advantageous due to the improved spreadability arising from their content of materials which do not completely disperse in the alkaline medium. This property of spreadability of the oilseed flour glues is presumably a purely physical characteristic derived from the reduction in sticky tenacious adhesive character due to the presence of the proportion of undispersed and only partly dispersed cellulose and hemicellulose in such flour. The effect seems to be to change the sticky stringy character of a low water pure protein dispersion to a more mushy, short and friable semi-fluid which certainly gives spreadability not ordinarily found with low water content dispersions of pure proteins such as casein and blood. However, some formulae do give the desired characteristics even with pure proteins and in such cases since the essential distinct pattern spread may be obtained, they become applicable to the present process. Also, this character may be obtained with pure proteins in some instances, by additions of substances imparting this character, such, for example, as alpha flock, which is finely divided cellulosic material, or by formulation which leaves dispersion partly uncompleted. Y

We are unable to state definitely what characteristic is responsible for the excellent pattern spreading character of the seed flour glues and in view of the fact that we have produced similar spreading characteristics in straight protein glues such as casein and blood glues by chemical manipulation, as well as mere additions of nonadhesive character, we do-not wish to exclude such straight protein glues from the class of pattern spreadable semi-fluid glues. For the purpose of the present invention and in the appended claims the terms semi-fluid glues should be construed as to mean pattern spreadable glues, regardless of whether they contain oilseed residue flour or not, since all glues having the pattern spreadable characteristic are equivalently workable in our process. Blends may include casein, blood-albumin. animal glue, extracted protein, etc., in amounts preferably not exceeding the proportion of oilseed flour, as for instance, 5-50 per cent of such blend constituents; for instance, soya bean flour as main ingredient with 20 per cent of soluble blood-albumin and 5 per cent of animal glue is a useful blend, having excellent spreading properties and water resistance, together with a quick-setting pro erty derived from the heat coagulable blood. Inclusion of larger amounts of blood-albumin still further increases the water resistance of the glued product. Casein, as noted, may also be used as blending element, with enhanced dry strength and water resistance. Blends including blood, animal glue, or casein, increase the tolerance of a long or variable interval of assembly time, which is desirable, in some instances, and heat coagulable proteins where added to the composition give a quicker set so as to permit opening the press more quickly without detriment to the final bond. In its great reduction in amounts of glue spread, the process particularl facilitates the use of glue materials of more expensive character, and owing to the use of heat permits attainment of highly water resistant bonds also with materials which would produce only moderate water resistance in the cold press process.

The new plywod product, made in accordance with the present invention, as stated above, is characterized by definite physical, structural characteristics which distinguish it from prior art plywood products. If a full-size plywod panel, for instance, of the Douglas fir type, whether made in accordance with the present invention or by prior art methods, is subjected to expert examination, many characteristics of the glue and method of manufacture may be easily and positively determined. All fir veneer is somewhat rough and variable both in local thickness and continuity of surface, so that it is never possible to manufacture even a single commercial panel with entire uniformity either in the distribution or the adhesive action of the glue. Under expert inspection and particularly when the panel has been dissected with a jack knife, three typical classes of relationship between the contacting plies will be found. Most of the areas will be found to have been of sufficient uniformity of thickness in the individual plies, so as to have received normal full bonding pressure, but certain areas will be found here and there where local thickness variation in the plies has prevented full normal bonding pressure being obtained, but, in such areas, there will have been sufficient pressure to have caused contact between the glued and unglued plies without sufficient pressure to produce a fully normal bond. Also, a third class of non-pressure areas will be encountered where local hill and valley surface differences were sufficient to prevent gluing contact together with actual voids, due to lack of one offthe component plies at open core-joints, knot holes, and the like. In the case of fir plywood spreadwith glues of the fluid consistency, there will also be found areas where the glue has been wiped off the spread core by the gloves of the operative that lays the cores in assembling the panels and also with fluid glues an occasional linear streak will be encountered where practically no glue was originally deposited on the core stock due to chips and foreign substances temporarily lodged in the glue spreader and wiping a portion of the glue off the spreader applicator roll.

With the great bulk of three ply fir panels where there are only two glue lines and the total Wood thickness does not exceed these internal differences can be readily and quickly located from the outside of the panel by passing the panel over a strong light such as a 1,000 watt lamp provided with a reflector and located in a recess over which the panel may be placed. By this method, local differences in adhesion may be instantly located and a good deal of their character determined without further investigation and at the same time the spots to be investigated can be marked so that they can be-quickly opened up with a knife for actual inspection.

By employing these methods, it has been found readily possible to identify fir plywood panels produced with the adhesive and by the method of the present invention, the identification of any given full-size commercial .panel being positive and readily distinguished from plywood made with other adhesives or by other methods.

, For the sake of brevity, Plywood made by the present invention will be termed mastic plywood, that term having now become established in the trade as descriptive of our product. In mastic also be observed in non-pressure areas, such as voids, core joints, knot holes and the like, that the dried mastic glue shows a dull, grainy surface with the deposit in original location without evidence of subsequent flow from these original areas of deposit, while the excess glue squeezed into the void from the surroundingarea will be noted to have formed well defined beads which have not wetted or flowed out upon the adjacent wood. Thus, the absence of'fiow characteristics and the original non-shelf-flow glue is readily observed by expert examination of mastic plywood and serves to distinguish it from other plywood.

A characteristic difference is also readily noted in the stain character of alkaline mastic glue as compared to the stain character of glues havin a fluid consistency. In the case of the mastic plywood it will be observed that-the alkaline glue stains are extremely uniform over all the surfaces contacted by the glue, but that the alkaline discoloration of the wood is entirely confined to a thin film not more than 2 to 5 thousandths of an inch thick, closely adjacent to the glue itself, so that migration away from the original surfaces contacted by the glue is entirel absent except for this uniform, thin, stained film. With all alkaline glues of fluid consistency, the stained areas will be found to have migrated irregularly to relatively great distances from the area of original deposit, so that surface glue stains which are absent from mastic fir plywood of normal thickness are frequent in ordinary plywood and cause degrading and serious loss.

Besides the above general features which serve to identify mastic plywood, irrespective of the method used for applying the glue, ordinary analytical methods can also readily determine the composition of the adhesive as to whether it plywood the areas of full normal pressure contact show a predominantly fine fibre type of wood failure with a considerable proportion of fine fibres torn from the glue spread ply, as well as from the contacting unspread ply when the adhesion is ruptured with a knife. While many areas when knifed apart will deeply tear off given portions of the adjacent ply, it will be noted that where the glue line is exposed, the ruptured fibres are fine and quite uniformly distributed over the glued surfaces and that, in many areas, the failure of the wood is in the glue spread core ply, so that the wood failure is not largely confined to the substance of the unspread contacting ply. It will also be observed that these areas and the panel generally show a uniformly shallow alkaline stain of the wood which is darker on the spread ply than on the unspread ply. The uniformity and shallowness of this stain is a particularly characteristic feature of the mastic plywood. In the areas where, owing to uneven ply thickness, the adhesive has not received the full bonding pressure in mastic plywood, it will be observed that the stain on both plies shows at least some local areas which reproduce in well defined form the original glue deposit and there will be original evidences of local differences of glue deposit which has been incompletely obliterated, owing to local lack of full bonding pressure. In mastic plywood it will contains oilseed residue, soybean, or other specific forms of oilseed residue and casein, blood albumen, or other readily determinable adhesive base materials.

It is also obvious that in addition to the general features of the adhesive, if it is originally pattern spread as by our preferred method, the multiplicity of spaced excess glue areas interspaced with areas merely wetted with the adhesive and substantially free from any excess may also be determined in the areas of insufficient bonding pressure or in the voids and likewise in the pressure areas the original linear deposit will be found to have spread out laterally under the gluing pressure into the spaces between the areas of excess glue, so as to form the desired thin adhesive film. When observing the adhesion in panels by passing the panel over a brilliant source of light, the uniformity of the adhesion wil1 be strikingly evident and is so diiferent from the variability. found in plywood made by fluid glues that, in most cases, an accurate determination of the identity of mastic plywood can be made with very little necessity for confirmatory exploration of the glue line with the knife.

While, of course, it is rarely possible for anyone to identify a particular kind of plywood and to determine the novel features and internal structural characteristics thereof by a mere casual inspection, the dealers and the consumer-public have shown a marked preference for our new mastic fir plywood, as is evidenced by the fact that the trade has already purchased about 12 million feet of the new material. This preference is based on the improved performance of the new material, because of its great uniformity of high adhesion, absence of surface stain, low

tendency to check and freedom from excessive moisture content. These characteristics are the result of the special and novel features of our invention, and, as indicated above, are easily determined by inspection and examination of the plywood panels.

In the drawings:

Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrate stages in the process.

Employing the proteinous adhesive of the viscosity described, the adhesive prints from the grooved rolls onto the cellulose surface in a pattern, such as that illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing, in which the adhesive deposit is shown at 2, defining excess glue areas, there being intervening spaces 3 merely wetted with the adhesive, but free from any surplus glue.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

We claim:

1. A fir plywood panel glued with an aqueous alkaline glue of non-self-fiowing consistency identifiable upon knifing by the following characteristic features; namely, that the areas of full pressure-contact show a predominantly fine fibre type of Wood failure with a considerable proportion of fine fibres torn from the glue-spread ply as well as from the contacting unspread ply, that the panel generally shows a uniformly shallow alkaline stain of the wood which is darker on the spread ply than on the unspread ply, and on both plies shows at least some local areas reproducing in well defined form the original glue deposit with incomplete subsequent distribution due to local lack of full bonding pressure, that in nonpressure areas, such as in voids, at core-joints, knot holes, etc. the dried glue shows a dull grainy surface with the deposit in its original location without evidence of subsequent fiow from original areas of deposit, and the excess glue squeezed into the void from surrounding area forms well defined beads which have not wetted or flowed out upon the adjacent wood, and that the panel as a whole is found free from surface alkaline stains, but has stains which have migrated into the wood not more than about two to five thousandths of an inch from the original surfaces contacted by the glue.

2. A fir plywood panel glued with an aqueous alkaline glue of non-self-fiowing consistency identifiable upon knifing by the following characteristic features; namely, that the areas of full pressure-contact show a predominantly fine fibre type of wood failure with a considerable proportion of fine fibres torn from the glue-spread ply as well as from the contacting unspread ply, that the panelgenerally shows a uniformly shallow alkaline stain of the wood which is darker on the spread ply than on the unspread ply, and on both plies shows at least some local areas reproducing in well defined form the original glue deposit with incomplete subsequent distribution due to local lack of full bonding pressure, that in non-pressure areas, such as in voids, at core-joints, knot holes, etc. the dried glue shows a dull grainy surface with the deposit in its original location without evidence of subsequent flow from original areas of deposit, and the excess glue squeezed into the void from surrounding area forms well defined beads which have not wetted or flowed out upon the adjacent wood, and that the panel as a whole is found free from wiped-oil areas of no adhesion due to handling of the core in spreading or linear streaks of no glue due to chips wiping glue off from a portion of the spreading roller or from surface alkaline stains, but has stains which have migrated into the wood not more than about two to five thousands of an inch from the original surfaces contacted by the glue.

3. As a new article of manufacture, plywood comprising a plurality of wood plies and a proteinous adhesive bond uniting the plies, said bond comprising a uniform glue film coextensive in area with the surfaces of the plies, uniformly penetrating the plies and characterized by the absence of penetration through the plies, said film being thinner than could be initially, mechanically applied as a continuous film, coat or sheet.

4. As a new article of manufacture, plywood comprising a plurality of wood plies and an alkali, proteinous bond uniting the plies, said bond comprising a uniform, continuous coating of adhesive uniformly penetrating the piles and characterized by the absence of excess water and alkali penetrating through the plies, said film being of maximum thinness consistent with continuous uniform spread and substantially uniform penetration and being thinner than an initially, continuously applied film, coat or sheet and having been formed by applying the adhesive in semi-fluid condition, free from self-flow in excess glue areas interspersed with areas merely wetted with glue, the excess glue areas having been subsequently spread into a thin, continuous, uniform film substantially coextensive in area with the surfaces of the plies by the application of sufiicient pressure to the plies to cause the glue to spread from the excess areas over the areas merely wetted with adhesive.

5. A fir plywood panel comprising plies glued together with an aqueous alkaline seedmeal glue and free from external alkaline glue stains, said panel being characterized by the feature that the wood is stained by said glue and that said glue stain substantially uniformly penetrates the wood adjacent the glued surfaces a distance of only two to five thousandths of an inch.

6. A fir plywood panel glued with an aqueous alkaline seedmeal glue, said panel being characterized by the feature that the wood adjacent the glue line shows a substantially uniformly shallow alkaline stain on both spread and unspread plies and that said stain is darker on the spread ply than on the unspread ply.

7. A fir plywood panel comprising an odd number of piles and including non-glue-spread longitudinally extending face plies and one or more transverse glue-spread plies,' said panel being free from external alkaline glue stains, the internal surfaces of said plies being uniformly and shallowly penetrated and stained by and adhered together with a thin film-like mass of dried alkaline seedmeal glue, said stain being uniformly darker on the surfaces of the glue-spread transverse ply surfaces than on the contacting surfaces of the longitudinally extending plies.

8. A fir plywood panel glued with an aqueous alkaline seedmeal glue of semi-fluid consistency when originally applied, said panel exhibiting in areas of the glue-spread core plies, handling marks showing slight local disturbance of the spread by handling during assembly, said marks being characterized by full commercial adhesion due to the original semi-fluid glue consistency having prevented removal of glue from said surfaces by the handling.

9. As a new article of manufacture, plywood comprising a plurality of wood plies and an alkali, proteinous bond uniting the plies, said bond comprising a uniform, continuous coating of adhesive substantially uniformly penetrating the plies and characterized by the absence of excess water and alkali penetrating through and staining the external surfaces of the plies, said film being of maximum thinness consistent with continuous uniform spread and substantially uniform penetration and being thinner than could be initially applied in a continuous coat or 5 sheet.

THEODORE w. DIKE. HARRY GALBER. 

